Still cold and icy

Hello

Well despite what the weather forecasters suggested, today was another cold day with sub-zero temperatures pre-dawn and a hard frost!

A collection of small birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning included two hundred Linnets, a hundred Goldfinches and smaller numbers of Chaffinches and Skylarks and was enough to create two Merlin observations involving at least one male and possibly two. Grey Partridges were calling and a couple of Red Foxes were on the prowl and at least one Barn Owl was hunting with a Brambling coming down for seed.

Nearby and a Peregrine and a Short-eared Owl were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and a Raven was in Hanging Houghton village.

A new bird in was a Black Redstart at Daventry as found by Ian at his works address at Cummins Engine Plant. A Cattle Egret was at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows LNR and birds at Clifford Hill Pits amounted to a Pink-footed Goose, six Goosanders, a Great White Egret and a Yellow-legged Gull.

Three Yellow-legged Gulls were in the roost at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon and birds at Stanford Reservoir included a Caspian Gull, fifty-five Great Black-backed Gulls, a Great White Egret, seven Goosanders, a Kingfisher and a Cetti's Warbler. An adult drake Smew was seen at Eyebrook Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

A mixture of gulls at Stortons
Pits including Great Black-backed
Gulls courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Tawny Owl courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Little Grebe courtesy
of Robin Gossage.